Steve sits down with media psychology expert Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster to break down parasocial relationships, the one-sided connections we form with TV hosts, creators, and public figures. From childhood TV to social media, they explore why these connections feel real and how easily we trust them.

They also look at how these connections can comfort, teach, and even help us feel less alone – and where they can drift into unrealistic expectations. Along the way, Steve turns the lens on himself, asking what it really means to build a relationship through a screen.

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** if you like this episode, then check out these **

Why Everyone is Choosing to Stay Single - with Eric Klinenberg https://youtu.be/V3_3xYpS108

Depression - with Jessi Gold https://youtu.be/U4KGIjd9LY0

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Exclusive Offers For Our Listeners:

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Alive with Steve Burns - Season One Episode 25 | Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster

Instagram: @alivewithsteveburns

TikTok: @alivewithsteveburns

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There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to. This one listens back.

Alive with Steve Burns continues the conversation you began all those years ago. Back then it was letters and numbers and graham crackers. Now it’s death, sex, taxes, and all the big, messy questions of being alive. Why does money stress us out? Is the American dream dead? What’s the future of truth?

Each week, a new guest drops by Steve’s window for a genuine and respectful dialogue between two people just trying to figure it out, together.

Funny, tender, and just a little weird, this show invites you to sit down and think with Steve once again and wonder… what it really means to be Alive.

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You are not alone. You are cared for. If you need someone to listen:

National Suicide and Crisis Hotline: https://988lifeline.org/

NAMI Helpline: https://www.nami.org/nami-helpline/

Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/

Keywords: parasocial relationships, media psychology, why we feel connected to celebrities, loneliness and social media, emotional connection psychology, storytelling and persuasion, steve burns podcast

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You Grew Up With Me, But We Never Met